Always On My Mind
by Dizzy-noodles
Summary: Rocketshippy story set just after Holy Matrimony


Always On My Mind

Disclaimer-I do not own any of the Pokemon characters (wish I did, I'd be rich! lol!)

I am English, so it's difficult for me to write in American! I think I've weeded out most of the jumpers, trainers, shaggings, arses, well fit birds, boobs, fags, biscuits etc, but if you find any more mistakes, let me know! And yeah, this story is kind of out of date, but I've had it in my head for years and had to get it out! That said, it didn't quite turn out how I originally imagined it….but I think it's better. I am the biggest Rocketshipper ever! I absolutely love James! I like Jessie too, I think she's so often misunderstood. And it just wouldn't be a Team Rocket story without Meowth!

"Wait! You forgot Meowth again!" Meowth yelled as Jessie and James drifted off in the hot air balloon…

Still holding James's hand, Jessie broke away from his gaze, feeling uncomfortable at the emotions welling up inside her. "Jessie?" he asked, concern showing in his emerald eyes "Are you ok? You seem a bit…" "I'm fine James…..just tired" she snapped, fighting back emotion. But she couldn't hide her feelings from him, she never could. He sighed and looked out over the side of the balloon, fiddling with a rose as usual. "You know Jess, I didn't just come back for my freedom…I came back for you" he almost whispered. "Really?" Jessie beamed, blushing. He came closer, and took her in his arms "Of course" he leaned in towards her, closing his eyes-'Oh my God' she thought, 'he's going to…..' Suddenly he was kissing her! "James what the hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled. "Jessie I'm sorry I just…" winced James, but she cut him off "you're squashing my hair, grab my ass instead!" James just grinned and kissed her again, and before she even realised it she was kissing him back, just like she'd always secretly dreamed of…..

A very tired and pissed off Meowth finally arrived home a couple of hours later, cursing and muttering under his breath. He stomped into the cabin, and seeing no-one around, burst into the bedroom. "So what's da big idea, leaving Meowth behind to walk…..Holy Crap! What are you-Oh!" He hurried back out, Jessie's boot narrowly missing his head, a horrified look on his face.

As Team Rocket policy forbade relationships between partners, Meowth agreed to keep Jessie and James's budding relationship a secret, in exchange for getting his own basket in front of the fire in the living room each night and the biggest portion of food at each meal. This worked out fairly well for all the Rockets, and as weeks turned to months, Jessie and James got used to 'behaving themselves' in public-well, except maybe once or twice-hiding in the bushes waiting to ambush the Twerps could be pretty boring!

"Oh Jessie!" James gasped, collapsing exhausted on top of her. "I love you" he murmured, kissing her on the forehead. Lying naked in James' arms, Jessie felt blissfully happy, yet also emotionally vulnerable and needy, feelings she always squashed, much to his despair. She loved him more than she ever thought possible, but could never express it. Since the death of her mother, she had decided that love only leads to loss and pain, and built up an emotional wall, a kind of toughness. That had worked well for her…. until that fateful day years ago, when she met James Morgan at Pokemon Tech-the love of her life, although she didn't know it then, or admit it to herself even now. Tonight was no different. She gazed at him and responded "Oh James… I ….. really do admire your dress sense." James' disappointed and hurt expression said more than words ever could. He turned his back to her and she felt like a complete bitch as she shut her eyes and tried to sleep.

The next morning, they were woken up by Meowth knocking on the door. "Jimmy? It's Da Boss for you-he said it's urgent." "Shit" muttered James, dressing quickly and running to the phone. A few minutes later he came back into the bedroom, looking stressed. "Jess I have to go to HQ-are you coming?" They got ready in silence, Jessie having the bathroom while James ate breakfast and vice versa. 'Something isn't right about this' Jessie thought, pondering Giovanni's motives. He had never asked to see one of them on their own before.

Arriving at Team Rocket Headquarters, James was ushered to Giovanni's office by a couple of grunts. Meowth napped on a chair whilst Jessie sat and waited patiently…and waited…and waited, until finally she got brave and knocked on the door. "Come in" came the stern reply. She walked in and couldn't hide her shock at seeing James was nowhere in sight! "Boss? Where's…" "Jessie, of course. James is gone. You have been assigned a new partner. His name is Rocko and he'll be arriving here tomorrow. You and Meowth will meet him at 7am sharp. You can go now." "But….." "I said GET OUT!" Jessie exited the room quickly and grabbed Meowth roughly. "Quick lazybones, wake up! We need to search this place until we find James!"

They never did find out what happened to James. Rocko arrived, and was handsome, charming, funny….. but it was all wasted on Jessie. Meowth clicked with him almost instantly, and took to riding on his head everywhere they went. But Meowth cried himself to sleep every night for months, and suspected Jessie did the same, judging by her puffy eyes in the mornings. After the first year, though they never forgot him, they gave up trying to find James, or discover what happened to him. Rocko had even tried to help, but knew nothing.

Jessie got out of the car first as she, Rocko and Meowth arrived at the scene of their latest Pokemon stealing mission. It was the annual summer ball thrown by Jake Spearow, one of the richest Pokemon trainers in Kanto. He owned several gyms across the country, and had become a millionaire at 25. "Guess this heist is a really big deal, huh?" she said apprehensively, smoothing down her gorgeous green ball gown and checking her make up in her compact mirror. "It'll be fine Jess, the place is swarming with Team Rocket agents. It's not like we're on our own. Besides, the boss has been pretty pleased with us lately!" grinned Rocko. It was true, Rocko seemed to have brought them nothing but good luck, they had actually managed to steal pokemon since he joined up. And his car was an added bonus! "Sure you won't come in with us buddy?" Rocko asked Meowth. "I told you before, there ain't no way Meowth's getting in a pokeball! I'll stay here and wait for you guys" he exclaimed. Rocko shrugged and he and Jessie walked across the car park towards the ballroom.

Jessie's eyes opened wide as she walked into the huge, lavishly decorated room full of people. She could only dream of the riches that the guests here were casually displaying, diamond necklaces, gold watches, platinum pokeballs peeping out of pockets…. "Right, see you later, good luck!" her partner said quietly, slipping away into the crowd. Jessie sighed and headed for the bar as agreed, praying they wouldn't mess this one up. Lost in her own thoughts, she accidentally bumped into a woman wearing a beautiful blue gown. "Sorry" she mumbled, looking up at her- "Cassidy." "Hello Jessie. Stolen any poke…..no of course you haven't! Haha! Although I must say things are looking up for you lately, new car, new partner-he's very handsome isn't he? Let's hope he doesn't get fed up working with you losers and leave!" Cassidy sneered. Jessie smiled sarcastically "Very funny-how long did it take you to come up with that one? And QUIT staring at my tits Cassidy, I don't swing that way!" Cassidy's face turned bright red. 'So those rumours _are _true', thought Jessie, as her enemy scowled and stormed off to take her position near the main doors. Jessie continued towards the bar, scanning the crowd as she went. Almost all the women wore their hair piled up high on their heads, and were wearing beautiful colourful dresses, the men all wore smart suits and all were obviously on their best behaviour for the occasion. There were waiters walking round with canapés and flutes of champagne, and the music created an elegant, sophisticated atmosphere.

Suddenly her heart caught in her throat. She felt dizzy and could barely stand. "_James_" she mouthed, astonished at seeing her former lover staring at her from across the dancefloor. He glanced around nervously, then made a beeline towards Jessie. "God this place is so BIG!" she muttered under her breath, desperate to get to James. She had to force herself to walk, not run towards him, unable to afford drawing attention to herself before the signal came to put Team Rocket's plan into action. She continued to weave her way through the crowds, and suddenly they were face to face, gazing into each other's eyes once more. She saw at once that though he was smiling, tears were running down his face, and it was then that she realised her own cheeks were wet. "Oh Jessie!" James almost sobbed as they fell into each other's arms "I missed you so much" "Me too" she murmured, overwhelmed at seeing him again. "What happened to you? Where have you _been?_" "I can't talk here-come outside with me" he said, taking her hand.

The doormen eyed them suspiciously as they walked out. "Man I am _dying_ for that cigarette!" James declared loudly. This seemed to work, so he led Jessie round to the back of the building where they could have some privacy. He leaned in to kiss her and she moved away "James! For fuck's sake! Explain yourself first!" she snapped. "Sorry" he mumbled, looking hurt. "Remember 2 years ago when the boss summoned me to HQ? When I went into his office, my parents were there, waiting for me. I knew something was wrong, and wanted to escape, or shout to you and Meowth, but one of the boss's grunts held a gun to my head. I was so scared! I was bundled into one of Team Rocket's cars and driven home to my parent's estate. Jessiebelle was there to meet us. They had Growlie chained up in the basement. They were threatening to hurt him if I didn't do as they said. It was awful!" he put his head in his hands and began to cry. "I just don't know what to do Jessie!" She smiled indulgently and put her arm around him "James! You idiot! Come home with me now! I'll call Rocko on his cell, he can drive us home, no-one will notice we've gone, they'll assume we're in there somewhere, lost in the crowd! There are enough agents in there to complete the mission without us!" James rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You don't understand Jess," he sighed, pulling up his trouser leg, "they're tracking me even now." There was an electronic band around his ankle. "What's that?" she asked, confused. "It's the latest Team Rocket technology. Impossible to remove without the key and the password. If I go out of range of my parents, it will emit synthetically created soundwaves, which mimic the Jigglypuff's song, and trigger an alarm to alert them at the same time. I've tried everything. Nothing will remove it, not even a hammer, a hacksaw or a blowtorch. And it works. The first time I ran away I didn't wake up for 2 days. They found me in minutes, apparently." "Oh." Jessie was lost for words. James smiled at her sadly, then took her in his arms and kissed her-she didn't resist this time. For a while she was just lost in the moment, desire taking over, until he pulled away gently and took her hand. "I have to go back in Jess-before they notice I'm gone" he told her despondently. "Ok" she agreed, biting back tears.

James left first, in case his parents were looking for him, Jessie was to wait 10 minutes before she went back to her post at the bar. She checked her watch and noted with relief that she still had just enough time before Team Rocket's big plan of action. 10 minutes seemed like forever but eventually she set off. She turned the corner and almost bumped into Butch who was leaning against the wall, lighting up yet another cigarette. "Those things'll kill ya one day Hutch!" she called as she walked away. "Aargh, it's Butch, you bitch!" he growled, clearly irritated but not bothering to move. Jessie sniggered. She liked pissing him off. He was alright really, but being partners with Cassidy made him technically an enemy too. 'And James hates him' she thought, feeling sad remembering all the fights they'd had with Butch and Cassidy, back in the old days.

The heist went as planned, despite Jessie. She was a mess, unable to concentrate, all she could think about was James, how unfair it was that she'd had to lose him again, and ways to try and help him escape. Rocko was angry, she could tell, he'd barely said a word to her all the way home. As they walked into their little cabin, he threw his car keys on the table and glared at her. "Jessie what is the matter with you? You've been acting screwy all evening. You nearly fucked up the entire plan in there tonight!" Stressed, she rubbed her forehead and sighed reluctantly. "Ok, but you mustn't tell anyone Rocko-I don't know if I should tell you this anyway but Meowth deserves to hear it and I need your help." He looked intrigued. "Go on, tell me. You should trust me by now! We're partners, remember?" Meowth decided to butt in then "Jess you better tell us now-Meowth ain't in the mood for being messed around!" Jessie looked at Rocko-her teammate, and yes, her friend. "Ok. Remember my old partner I told you about, James?…"

Rocko had agreed to help. He claimed to be good with electronics. Meowth had insisted on coming along and Jessie couldn't bring herself to refuse him. They arrived at the mansion just before midnight. "Jesus! How rich is this James guy?" Rocko exclaimed. "Shut up!" Jessie hissed, gathering the rest of their equipment from the boot of the car. As they reached the 8foot high fence, Rocko grabbed Jessie's arm "Wait-it might be electrified! Let's test it first" He picked up a large twig from the ground and threw it at the fence. Nothing happened. Jessie gave him a funny look "And that means what exactly?" "Um…..well ok but I saw it in a movie once. I'll go first." He gulped and gingerly reached out and touched the fence. Nothing happened. He breathed out a sigh of relief and they began to climb. Once safely over the fence, the Rockets had to navigate the gardens, before reaching the house. "Ok, now let's test for lasers-this place must be alarmed" Rocko pulled some talc from his backpack and started sprinkling it over the area between them and the house. Nothing happened. "Lemme guess-another movie trick right?" said Meowth sarcastically. Rocko looked a bit embarrassed. Jessie rolled her eyes and got out the lockpick from her backpack and began working on the door. "Crap!" she muttered, "this was always James's forte!" "Move aside human!" Meowth commanded, and began picking the lock with a claw. Within seconds it worked and they were in! "Way to go buddy!" Rocko whispered, hi-fiving the pokemon. "Um…..where do we go now Jess?" he asked. "Shit I don't know! I don't even know where James's bedroom is!" She slapped one gloved hand to her forehead in exasperation. "Don't worry Jess, luckily one of us has a super sensitive sense of smell!" Meowth whispered, winking at her "I bet Arbok'd recognise Jimmy's aftershave anywhere."

Their Team Rocket training had come in useful, as they managed to sneak through the house without making a sound or being spotted. After about an hour of searching, they finally came to a door that Arbok seemed convinced was James's room. They sneaked inside and found he was right. James was sleeping peacefully in a large four-poster bed, no doubt dreaming of Jessie. She crept over to him and covered his mouth with her hands. He woke up with a start and sat up, eyes wide. "James it's me, Jessie-don't scream like a girl!" she whispered, removing her hands from his mouth. "Jess? What are you doing here? Who's that? Is he your new partner?" "Yes. Rocko's here to help get that-thing off your ankle." "Eeeeeeee! Really? Thanks!"

Hours later, Rocko had to admit defeat. "I'm sorry James, I've tried everything I know. This technology-I've never seen anything like it before." Tears filled James's eyes and he sighed sadly. "Is there nothing you can do?" Jessie cried. Rocko shook his head. "And we'd better get going. It'll be light soon and people will be waking up." James threw his arms around Jessie and sobbed. "Jessie please don't go! I can't say goodbye to you again!" "Arrgh! James quit being such a baby! You know we have to go! What if we get discovered?" She took his hand and her voice softened a little "I'll come back as soon as I can-I promise." "You promise?" he sniffed. "Yes! Now we have to go." She turned to the others "I'll be out in a minute." Getting the hint, they left the room to give the lovers some privacy. "I love you Jess" "Oh James…..you have such a sense of style…..no I mean…." She was silenced by his kiss…..and when they managed to stop themselves, he hugged her tightly. "Goodbye Jessica. Come back to see me?" "I will. Goodbye James." Fighting back tears, she left the room and joined her teammates. "Are you ok Jess?" Rocko asked kindly. "Fine. Let's just go, ok?" she snapped, and walked off down the corridor. Meowth gave Rocko an apologetic smile and they followed her, feeling guilty but somewhat relieved to be going home.

The next morning Rocko was awoken by someone clattering around the kitchen. As he slept in the lounge, this was quite a regular occurrence, but that didn't make it any less annoying, especially on 2 hours sleep! "Keep it down will ya!" he yelled angrily. "Oh Rocko don't be such a grump! Here's your breakfast!" trilled Jessie. "Oh. Thanks." he said, confused. Since James left, Meowth was the only one who cooked. He didn't think Jessie had ever so much as made a cup of coffee before! "So, how is it?" she asked as he tried to keep the food down. "Lovely," he lied. "Thanks." "So…..I was thinking you could give me a driving lesson today!" She smiled brightly. He was horrified. "What-in my car?" "No I thought we could fit wheels onto the Meowth balloon-of course in your car! You don't mind do you?" "Uh, well Jess it's not that, just the insurance you know…." He trailed off lamely, desperately fishing for an excuse to keep her away from his precious vehicle. "Oh ok. I was just thinking I could visit James….." She looked genuinely disappointed and he felt sorry for her. 'After all,' he thought, 'she has been through a lot.' "Alright then. But you're paying for any damage" he said, giving in and trying to silence the nagging voice in his head telling him he'd regret it.

After giving her lessons every day for about a month, Rocko had virtually stopped clinging to the door handle and praying when in the car with Jessie. He had even let her drive on their Team Rocket missions a few times. As they returned home that day, she was in a foul mood, as they had been blasted off for the first time in quite a while. "Fucking twerps! Fucking Pikachu!" she swore, heading for the liquor cabinet (which held a lone half bottle of store's own brand vodka from last Christmas) "So Jessie, I was thinking you could have the car tonight-if you want to visit James?" Rocko offered, taking the bottle from her hand. She stared at him for a moment, then seemed to instantly cheer up. "Really? Oh Rocko! You're the best! Thankyou!" She beamed, hugging him. "I bet he'd like some of his old cd's" she mused, picking some out from the rack-almost all of them still had the security tags on from when they had 'acquired' them. He peered over her shoulder "Funeral For a Friend….Paramore….AFI….Bullet For My Valentine….30 Seconds to Mars….Hawthorne Heights….My Chemical Romance….Emotastic! Hey your boyfriend doesn't wear sneakers with stars on does he? Purple neckscarves? Black fingerless net gloves? Eyeliner?" He descended into a fit of the giggles at this point, and would normally have received a slap from his teammate. But she was in such a good mood, she settled for "Shut up dickhead!" Though he could tell her heart wasn't in it as she was smiling. "Anyway it's guyliner. And he looks cute in those sneakers!" she admitted. Rocko couldn't remember ever seeing her so happy.

Jessie's heart was pounding as she reached James's neighbourhood. She decided to park the car a couple of blocks away from the house, just in case. Everything seemed to take forever, as she was buzzing with anticipation at the thought of seeing James. Scaling the fence was ok, but picking the lock was difficult without Meowth's help, and took at least 20 minutes. She remembered her way to his room without too much trouble, however. She crept silently through the door and over to the bed, setting the cd's down on the bedside table, with some of his favourite bottlecaps. "James" she whispered in his ear, ready to cup her hand over his mouth. He woke up and beamed "Jessie!" He embraced her at once. "What are you doing here?" "I promised I'd come and see you, remember?" she said, hugging him tightly. "I'd given up. I thought you'd forgotten me! I'm so happy you're here!" "James I'd never forget you-you know that right?" she asked, feeling slightly guilty at keeping him waiting so long. He just smiled, and she could tell he wasn't sure. She gazed at him and suddenly felt the urge to tell him how she felt, once and for all. But as he swept her into his arms and kissed her passionately, she wasn't in the mood for talking anymore. Long-forgotten lust arose within her and she realised with a shock how long it had been since they had shared a bed. "Oh James" she gasped as he pulled her down onto the bed next to him. "Wait." She sat up and removed her gloves and boots and got into bed. "That's better." He grinned at her wickedly and gently took off her Team Rocket jacket. "_This_ is better," he murmured, slipping her tiny skirt down and off in one fluid movement. Next came her black vest top. They kissed again, her heart pounding harder than ever as she unbuttoned his silk pyjamas, slipping the top off and running her hands over his hard, wiry chest. She removed his pyjama bottoms too, noticing at once that he was now naked-and very aroused. He unhooked her bra and threw it onto the floor, burying his head between her breasts. "Mm mmm mmmm" "What?" "I said, I've missed these!" He kissed the skin gently, slowly working his way round to her nipple, as he knew it drove her crazy. "James" she groaned, wild with desire. He slipped her knickers off and cast them aside, and she gasped, wanting him even more. She pulled him towards her, and they gave in to their desire, taking time to kiss and caress each other's bodies expertly, hitting all the right spots, in all the right places, just as they always had done. "God I missed you so much Jess!" James mumbled into her shoulder. "Me too. I even cried." she confessed. "Oh baby" he said, clearly moved, gazing into her eyes and cupping her face in his hands. He kissed her passionately, and she lay on her back, pulling him towards her. "Take me now, Sexy" she purred, smiling seductively. He positioned himself above her, and kissed her gently, making her groan in pleasure as he entered her. For once she let go, taken by surprise at just how much she had missed him, and allowed those girly and emotional feelings take hold of her completely. "James…." He gazed down at her lovingly and she continued, feeling so vulnerable "….. I… I love you." "Oh Jess, I love you so much" he cried, tears springing to his eyes. He made love to her gently and tenderly at first, then harder and faster as their passion took over…..

….She clawed at his back and kissed him hard as her orgasm took over, trying desperately not to scream out. He moaned as he came, thrusting hard inside her, and lay on top of her, exhausted. He kissed her shoulder, the bond between them seeming stronger than ever, and their love somehow more powerful than ever before. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his neck. She felt kind of sad as he eventually withdrew from her and lay on his back. It terrified her how close she felt to him, and how much she had to lose. He put his arms around her and drew her close, and as she rested her head on his chest, she could feel his heart beating. "I do love you Jess-I promise I'll never hurt you" he vowed, almost as if he had read her mind. "I know you won't-and I love you too baby" she replied softly, a little more reassured. They lay cuddled up together, talking for a while, James telling Jessie about life at the mansion, and her telling him about her Team Rocket activities, and her new partner. James set an early alarm so Jessie could leave whilst it was still dark, and they slept in each other's arms as they always had.

Jessie was deep in thought as she drove home, thinking about James and his miserable life at the mansion, every minute of his day planned out and controlled by his parents. 'They're nuts,' she thought, 'actually insane'. They had discussed calling the police, but with their criminal records, and being wanted from Pallet Town to the Orange Islands, Jessie and James were just as likely to end up in jail themselves. And of course Giovanni wouldn't help them. James's theory was that his parents had noticed his uniform, and set out to contact their boss and bribe him to give up James to them. James had been pleased with the bottlecaps, and the cd's, although he wouldn't have much opportunity to listen to them. She was surprised to find Meowth awake as she unlocked the door to the little cabin and stepped inside. "Hey Jess," he asked, concern showing on his face, "how's Jimmy doing?" "He's ok" she sighed. "He asked after you-and he said to say hi." Meowth smiled at that. "I miss him too you know" he said seriously. "But Meowth knows you humans need your 'private time'-just take me with you sometime, maybe when you have a headache or something-deal?" he said, winking at her. "Ok Meowth" she agreed, blushing. She crept past a sleeping Rocko, and into the bedroom she used to share with James, noticing his absence more than ever.

Jessie soon began visiting James every couple of weeks-long enough to lessen the risk of being caught, but not so long that it was unbearable. She took Meowth sometimes too, although he'd banned 'any of that mushy stuff' in his presence. They were still trying to come up with an escape plan, but so far had nothing. It was another sunny day, and the Rockets were chatting as they made their way through Viridian City centre, where the 15th Annual Summer Pokemon Festival was being held. "So how was the Team Rocket doctor yesterday Jessie?" asked Rocko, "I've never used one of our docs, was he any good?" She shrugged. "He was ok, said it wasn't Pidgey flu, just normal flu, and gave me some antibiotics. I had to wait for forever, though! And the magazines were just awful, there weren't any fashion ones! Like I'm interested in cooking or golf!" she said, rolling her eyes. "Flu's still pretty nasty though." said Rocko. "Are you sure you're not too sick for this Jess?" asked Meowth. "Maybe-but I'm not missing the 'Most Beautiful Pokemon and Trainer' contest!" She blew her nose loudly and the pokemon teased her "Of course, I forgot red noses and puffy eyes are in this season!" Rocko gave a snort of laughter. Jessie narrowed her eyes and reached for her mallet, but before she could act, she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her. "Oh my goodness! I do believe Team Rocket is here! At the festival! Help! Someone call Officer Jenny!" She whirled round and came face to face with her old nemesis. "Jessiebelle! Just what the hell do you think you're doing? Shut that oversized mouth before I…" "Before you what darlin'? Run away like last time?" the southern belle jeered. "Humph! What are you doing here anyway?" the female Rocket asked through clenched teeth. "Why, I'm here to win the beauty contest of course! My Vileplume is looking at its absolute best-as am I of course! My poor, poor husband is sick in bed with the flu, but we managed to avoid it-unlike some people, I don't think snotty noses are very ladylike!" "Husband? You're married?" "Why my dear, don't look so surprised! I married my sweetheart almost 2 years ago! I do believe you used to know him-my beloved James Morgan?" Jessie went white and just stared at Jessibelle in disbelief for what felt like an eternity. "Oh darlin'," laughed Jessiebelle, "you're not faintin' properly!"

When Jessie came round, she was lying on her back on the ground, a worried looking Rocko and Meowth gazing down at her. "She's coming round!" cried a strange voice, "get her a glass of water!" It was then that she noticed the small crowd of wellwishers surrounding her, wanting to help 'the poor girl'. She sat up, still feeling dizzy, and Rocko put his arm around her to steady her. "Don't rush, honey, take your time" he warned. "Who are all these people?" she mumbled weakly, feeling like crap, "take me home!" Eventually the crowd dispersed, now that Jessie was feeling better and the drama was over, and once her teammates were satisfied that she wasn't going to faint again, they helped her walk the couple of blocks back to the car. Rocko drove them home in silence-they were all in shock and lost in their own thoughts. Jessie went straight to bed, after refusing to talk to either of the others about what Jessiebelle had revealed.

Jessie stopped fighting the flu after that, and spent the next few days in bed, being waited on by her teammates. Soon she was feeling much better-physically anyway. One night she got changed and picked up the car keys from the table. "Going to visit your married man?" asked Rocko disapprovingly. "Yes," she growled, just about holding onto her temper, "the least that lying dickhead owes me is an explanation!" And with that she stormed out. "Jeez, poor Jimmy!" Meowth said with feeling, "She's going to tear him a new one!" "I don't envy him, that's for sure!" Rocko agreed, heading for the fridge. "Want a beer buddy?"

James woke up to find Jessie looming over him, angrily poking him in the chest. "Wake-up-you fucking bastard!" she hissed venomously. "What? Jessie? What's going on?" he whimpered, confused. "Guess who I ran into last week?" He shrugged hopelessly. "Your wife, you twat!" Jessie spat the words out as though they were poisonous. "Oh shit, Jessiebelle told you that did she?" he groaned, burying his face in his hands. His lover grabbed him roughly by the wrists. "Oh she fucking told me alright! The question is, when were _you_ going to tell me?" Jessie was red in the face and shaking with rage. "Jessie you don't understand-it's not what you think! She's in league with my parents! I was forced into it, shortly after being kidnapped-literally at gunpoint! The bridesmaid had a gun hidden in her bouquet, she kept prodding me with it, in case I forgot my life was at stake! And they hurt Growlie!" he was visibly upset, and went quiet at this point. "I never meant to hurt you Jess-I just didn't know how to tell you. I knew you'd be mad." He outstretched his arms to embrace her, but she stood up out of his reach. "Is that why I never saw your ring? You hid it from me?" she asked snappily. He nodded. "I put it in my pocket when I saw you at the ball. I only ever wear it when I'm with my parents-or her" he admitted, ashamed…

….Half an hour later, they were still arguing. Jessie was still fuming, and had begun to rant. "So, Casanova, tell me-how many times have you screwed her behind my back? Did you fuck her in this bed? After fucking me? Do you say you love her too? How many other girls are there? How could you do this to me? You promised never to hurt me, you shit!" James was horrified at her accusations. "Baby, I never, ever, had sex with her! Or anyone else! I wouldn't do that, Jess, you know I hate her-and I'd never cheat on you! You're the only one for me-and I never have and never will love anyone else but you!" he protested. She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "Whatever. Did you kiss her?" "Jessie, at the wedding I….." "Did you fucking kiss her? Answer me!" Her blue eyes were blazing with temper, and shining with unshed tears. James could almost see her heart breaking as he replied. "Yes." He hung his head in shame. Jessie tried to maintain her composure, but despite her efforts, tears began streaming down her face and she choked back a sob. James was instantly by her side, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. "It was only the post-ceremony kiss-it was simply awful! That dreadful woman forced me to-I've resisted all her efforts since then, eventually she seemed to give up, she hasn't bothered me in ages. Please don't let her come between us Jess-I love you so much!" he cried dramatically. She struggled to free herself from his embrace, but he held her tight. "I don't love you! Let me go! I don't love you anymore!" she lied, beating her fists against his chest. She continued to vainly protest, "I hate you! I hate you!" but she was still crying, angry tears dripping from her chin onto her jacket. "Jessie…. you don't hate me do you" he murmured softly, kissing her again. "I do, I do," she wept, "oh, you bastard, I don't! Why can't I hate you? Why do I still love you? I promised myself this would never happen to me!" "Sshhh Jessie" James whispered, stroking her hair gently and hugging her tightly. "I love you" he murmured into her ear tenderly, melting her inside. She wiped tears from her eyes and sniffed. "I love you too, you prick!" He took her hand and led her to the bed. "I'm still mad at you, you know," she warned him. "I know, Jess, my beautiful Jessica." He got into bed and she joined him. "I'm not your Jessica! And we're not having sex tonight!" "Ok" he played along, smiling, for he knew she didn't mean it.

Jessie was exhausted as she drove home in the early hours-a combination of flu, crying-and the amazing, passionate make up sex she'd been having with James all night. 'It's true what they say about that!' she thought, grinning to herself. Arriving back at the cabin, she crept in quietly, made her way silently across the living room-and tripped over Rocko's boots, which were lying haphazardly on the floor. The crash woke him up with a jolt, and he scrabbled for his pokeballs, panicking. "It's me, you idiot!" she snapped, her wrist hurting from where she had landed on it. "Oh," he chuckled. "How did it goz? You dump his cheating assz? You go girly-wirlyz!" "Are you drunk?" "No, course notz! Meowth is thoughz!" he slurred, winking drunkenly at her. She sighed, and fetched him a glass of water from the kitchen. "Drink this, and don't set an alarm. We're taking the day off tomorrow!" She said decisively. "Sure thing, Mommy" Rocko grinned, laughing at his own joke. She ignored him, too tired to bother, and went to bed.

Jessie woke up around lunchtime and went to get a sandwich. Rocko was sitting at the table, trying his hardest not to be sick as he nibbled at a piece of dry toast, Meowth asleep on his lap. "Morning-or afternoon" she greeted him. "Whatever, I don't care." he groaned, clutching his head. "Good night then?" "Yeah actually. Meowth can be pretty funny, you know." He smiled, remembering what a laugh they had-well he remembered some of it! "So how did it go with James?" he asked. She blushed. "Good-I mean, he explained it to me. Basically he was forced into it." "How can you be forced to marry someone? I mean, Jeez Jess, did you honestly buy that?" he asked in utter disbelief. "He was threatened at gunpoint! And they hurt his favourite pokemon!" she protested, suddenly aware of how implausible it sounded. "If you'd met them-his parents I mean, and _her_…..you'd understand." She looked miserable and he felt guilty for ruining her mood. "Hey, what do I know? James seems like a sweet guy, and anyone can see he's crazy in love with you! I just don't want to see you get hurt, that's all. Are you sure it's not _you _who's the 'other woman'?" "Yes, I'm sure. After all, how could anyone not prefer me to her! I'm _so _much prettier!" She declared assertively. Rocko laughed and took another nibble of toast.

A few weeks later, on yet another mission, the Rockets saw a familiar figure walking along the road up ahead. Rocko pulled over alongside him. "Hey, Butch, want a ride?" he asked, calling him by the right name as now was no time for jokes. "Huh, what? I mean, yeah, thanks." Butch croaked, getting in and sitting in the back. He opened the window and lit up a cigarette. Rocko frowned and opened his mouth to object, but Meowth shook his head. "On your way to the hospital pal?" the pokemon enquired. "Yeah." Jessie turned in her seat to face him. "Oh Butch, we were so sorry to hear about Cassidy's tragic tractor accident!" "Yeah right, Jessie! You two hate each other! I'm not stupid!" he snorted. "Well, yeah, but I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Tell her I said hi, okay?" She turned back round and stared out of the window, Butch glaring at her, muttering under his breath. They dropped him off close to the hospital and continued on their way. "That was nice of you." Rocko said. She sighed. "Well he's right, I do hate her-but I've known her a long time and from what I heard, it was pretty messy." He whistled. "Shit. Poor girl. Let's go visit soon." They sat in silence for the rest of the trip.

Arriving at the pokemon centre, they suddenly remembered they'd forgotten their disguises. "Oh crap! What are we going to do now!" worried Rocko. Jessie and Meowth shared a look and grinned. "It'll be fine, don't worry. I have some sunglasses in my handbag, a fake moustache from last week's spy mission for Meowth, and you can wear that old sweater you keep in the trunk for if you get stranded" she announced proudly. "And you think that'll do it?" "Trust me, Rocko, it's only the twerps. They'll never know it's us" she replied, putting on her sunglasses and striding off confidently. Rocko stared at Meowth, who nodded. "She's right, they're thick as swinubshit. Come on." Rocko put on the sweater and locked the car, hurrying to catch up with his teammates. On entering the building they were slightly taken aback by the vast numbers of trainers attending. "Who'd have thought a Pikachu convention'd be so popular!" mused the cat pokemon, searching for the twerps' faces in the crowd. Ash, Misty and Brock were having a great time at the convention, admiring all the different pikachus and browsing the trade stands selling pikachu-related merchandise. "Excuse me sir," interrupted a mysterious redhead in sunglasses, seemingly accompanied by a tramp and a short, moustached man, "the competition judges asked if they could see your pikachu outside? To see it in the daylight, you know, to see if it could be this year's winner?" "Oh Boy!" cried Ash excitedly. "Excellent!" Jessie beamed, rubbing her hands together, "follow me!" The twerps followed Team Rocket outside, Misty frowning thoughtfully. "Brock!" she whispered. "Don't you think there's something a bit…..strange about this?" "Yeah," he sighed gloomily, "all these pokemon and not one Nurse Joy in sight! Er….you know, in case one of the pikachu's get sick." he finished lamely. "Boys!" Misty muttered, rolling her eyes. "Hey aren't we a bit far away from the convention now?" Ash asked, "We're practically in the car park!" "All the better for driving off with your pikachu, twerp!" yelled Rocko, snatching the mouse pokemon. Jessie, Rocko and Meowth took off their disguises and threw them over their shoulders in a dramatic fashion. "Oh my God! It's Team Rocket! I don't believe it!" cried Ash and Brock in unison. Misty facepalmed in the background, yet again wondering why she travelled with these 2 nitwits. "Prepare for trouble!" "And make it double!" To protect the world from devastation!" "To unite all people's within our nation!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love" "To stretch out our….no, hang on….To reach out….ermm…To…..something about stars?" "Rocko you idiot! How could you forget the motto again! You've been saying it wrong for _2 years_!" snapped Jessie, slapping him on the back of the head. "Pikachu, thundershock!" commanded Ash. Rocko and Meowth shrieked as they were electrocuted yet again. Pikachu wriggled free from Rocko's grip and ran back to Ash, who was mad at being tricked yet again. "Pikachu, you missed out Jessie!" "Pi pika pika pi" retorted the pokemon, crossing its arms defiantly. Meowth's eyes opened wide and he stared at his female teammate, his mouth hanging open. "Go Vulpix, flamethrower!" cried Brock, pulling out his pokeball. "Aaaaargh" yelled Rocko and Meowth, who were now on fire. Jessie smirked. "Aah how sweet! Your pokemon don't want to hurt me!" "Vulpix pix pix" protested Vulpix. Meowth fell over backwards in shock. "Starmie, watergun _at Jessie!_" shouted Misty, summoning her water pokemon. Starmie aimed for the 2 now charred Rockets instead. Jessie laughed and clapped her hands, delighted. The twerps looked at each other, and then back at Jessie, mystified. "Go Raichu, thundershock!" growled an extremely pissed off Rocko, throwing his pokeball. His powerful and very well trained Raichu unleashed a powerful electric attack on the twerps, blasting them and their pokemon off into the sunset. "Haha, looks like the twerps are blasting off _this_ time!" Rocko noted smugly. "Way to go Rocko, now we've failed to capture Pikachu again!" Jessie groaned. "Um, Jess," Meowth butted in, having regained his composure, "I think that's the least of your problems!" "What do you mean Meowth?" she asked irritably. "Well I don't know how to tell you this but…..you're pregnant."

Jessie was devastated, and cried all the way home. "How could this happen?" she wailed, "I'm on the pill!" "Yeah, but isn't that only 99% effective?" pondered Rocko. "Oh what am I going to do? Meowth, why didn't you tell me this before-you're a pokemon!" Meowth shrugged. "Guess I've been hanging round with humans too long, kinda lost most of my instincts. Sorry Jess." He hopped onto her lap and she cuddled him, weeping into his soft fur. Instead of going straight home, Rocko drove to the local sexual heath clinic so Jessie could see a doctor. She had refused to see the Team Rocket doctor on the grounds that he might tell Giovanni and cause her to lose her job. Rocko and Meowth sadly agreed with her that patient confidentiality probably didn't count for anything in comparison to fear of the boss. They sat anxiously in the waiting room, flicking through the magazines half-heartedly. Eventually she came out and joined them, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "How did it go?" Meowth asked. She was silent, staring at her feet. "Tell you what," said Rocko, putting his arm around her shoulders, "we'll go home and have some coffee and cookies, and you can tell us then, alright?" She sniffed and nodded.

Sometime later, nursing a mug of coffee, Jessie told the others what the doctor had said. "…..and then she told me how far along I was, and I remembered I'd been ill with the flu just before that. She asked if I'd taken any medication for it-apparently antibiotics stop the pill from working!" "So that's how it happened? The antibiotics the TR doc gave you?" queried Rocko. "Yeah. And visiting James might've had something to do with it!" she laughed bitterly. "When are you going to tell him Jess?" asked Meowth. "God I don't know! I'm not ready to deal with all that yet." she sighed. "I don't even know if I'll keep it." "Well whatever you decide, we're here to help" the pokemon said supportively. Rocko nodded. "Thanks guys." she smiled bravely.

A few days later, Jessie was visiting James again. She felt sick with nerves at the thought of telling him about her pregnancy, and pushed it to the back of her mind. He was delighted to see her, as always, and hugged her warmly before planting a soft kiss on her lips. He seemed especially pleased about something tonight though, and Jessie wondered what was going on. "I'm so glad you're here Jess! I was hoping you'd come to see me before your birthday!" he chirruped excitedly. "My birthday…..I almost forgot!" she realised with a shock. 'But then…..I have been pre-occupied' she thought to herself. He took her hand and led her to the other side of the room. "Close your eyes!" he whispered, kissing her cheek. She did as she was told, and could hear him bustling around. "Ta-da!" he cried. She opened her eyes and gasped. He had lit candles all around the room, giving everything a soft, romantic glow, and the bed was covered in rose petals. "Oh James, it's beautiful" she smiled, kissing him. He beamed. "Do you really like it Jess? I'm sorry it can't be more, but…" he trailed off. "Yes I do. Get over here now" she commanded flirtatiously, sitting on the edge of the bed…..

…Lying contentedly in James' arms after making love, Jessie had never felt happier. 'I just wish it could be like this forever' she wished silently. She gazed at his handsome face, and as if on cue, he woke up and smiled. "Sorry Jess, I must've dozed off," he mumbled sleepily. "You will be next time!" she joked. He pulled her close and kissed her. Suddenly he broke away and sat up. "Oooooh I almost forgot!" he grinned, climbing out of bed and rummaging in the bedside drawer. He got back into bed and presented her with a small parcel. "Happy Birthday! For Tuesday!" She opened it to find a tiny diamond brooch, in the shape of a snake pokemon. "Oh James," she breathed, eyes sparkling, "it's perfect! Thankyou!" She hugged him, and he could tell she was genuinely thrilled. "It was my great aunt Penelope's. She left it to me in her will. She loved snake pokemon, and it kind of reminded me of Arbok." he explained. "James! I can't take the last thing that reminds you of your great aunt, that's too special." She passed it back to him, and he shook his head. "I want you to have it. I have lots of great memories of her-and she would have liked you! She was a fiery redhead too!" he giggled. She swatted at him playfully, before he took hold of her wrists and pushed her gently back down onto the bed…

The next morning, James still unaware he was to become a father, Jessie, Rocko and Meowth were eating a hasty breakfast of toast and coffee, when the phone rang. Jessie swallowed quickly and answered. "Hello Boss" she said seriously. Rocko and Meowth sat up, paying attention. "Hello Jessie, Rocko, Meowth. I want you to come to Headquarters at 7am sharp, tomorrow morning. I have a matter of some importance to discuss with Jessie. Goodbye." Giovanni hung up and Jessie swore. "Dammit that's my birthday! Why does he always want to see us at the ass-crack of dawn!" she moaned irritably. Meowth winked at her. "Maybe Da Boss got you a present, Jess!" he joked.

Jessie cursed as the alarm went off on Tuesday morning. She got up quickly, muttering to herself under her breath. Her teammates were already up and waiting for her as she entered the kitchen. "Happy Birthday!" they yelled. "Quiet down already! It's too early for all that!" she snapped, but she was secretly pleased. She opened her presents in the car, which were a box of chocolates from Rocko, and some bubble bath from Meowth. They pulled up outside HQ, and as they got out of the car, she suddenly felt nervous. "Oh Rocko," she hissed, panicking, "what if he _knows!_" Her partner stared at her in horror. Meowth sighed and pointed out the obvious. "We're here now, it's too late. He'll have seen us on the cameras, guys." Rocko patted Jessie on the shoulder, but she brushed his hand away. The Rockets summoned their courage and headed to the Boss's office. Jessie knocked nervously on the door. "Come in." Giovanni commanded. Rocko and Meowth came in too, and they stood in front of their boss's desk, none of them wanting to catch his eye. "Jessie. I believe you are 20 years old today, is that correct?" she nodded miserably. He held a battered looking, yet still sealed, envelope out to her. "I recieved instructions from Miyamoto's solicitor to give this to you on your 20th birthday. So here it is. I need you to sign these forms to confirm you have received it direct from myself." He shoved some papers and a pen at her. She signed quickly, relieved, but at the same time, seized with another emotion. Tears welled up in her pretty blue eyes. "So this is from…from my Mom? For me?" Giovanni took the signed papers from her outstretched hand and shut them in his lockable desk drawer. "Yes. Shut the door on your way out." he said gruffly, folding his arms.

Arriving home, Jessie could wait no longer and tore open the envelope. A letter fell out, and an old photograph of an exhausted, yet smiling Miyamoto, lying in a hospital bed and holding _two_ babies. Jessie stared at the photo, bewildered, and began to read the letter:

'_My darling Jessie, as you know this is a letter from me-Mom. If you are reading this I can only hope that Carruthers has done his job, it is your 20__th__ birthday, and that Giovanni gave you this himself, still sealed. I guess you looked at the picture first, so this will hopefully be a little less of a shock. Yes, my darling, you have a twin! When I first heard that I was carrying twins, of course I was overjoyed! But, being recently separated from your father, and earning a meagre wage as a Team Rocket agent, things were not that simple. I soon realised that I could never afford to raise two children alone. Abortion was obviously not an option! So I decided to have one of you adopted, and raise the other baby myself, hoping that some day we could all be re-united. It was an agonising decision, sweetheart, but eventually it was arranged that your sister, Jessiebelle, would go to live with a rich family, far away in Platinum City, whilst you would remain with me. The last few years with you have been wonderful, you are the apple of my eye, my pride and joy! But money is tight, honey, so I have accepted an exciting new mission from Madame Boss herself! If successful, there is a huge payout! You and I would no longer be poor, and maybe we could even go and find your sister and be a family again! Sadly there is a catch-it is going to be very dangerous, and I might not make it. Please don't cry, my love. If you are reading this letter-well let's just say that I am looking down on you from the stars! My dearest wish is that one day you and your sister Jessiebelle will find each other and finally be truly happy. Family is so important. Don't ever forget how much I love you. Hugs and kisses, Mom xxx'_

Jessie re-read the letter several times in disbelief. She sat there in shock, her coffee going cold in front of her, tears running down her face. Meowth reached out a paw and touched her arm gingerly. "Jess? Are you okay? What's the matter?" She said nothing and silently handed him the letter. He read it and wordlessly passed it to Rocko. After reading the letter, and looking at the photo, her teammates were as horrified as she was. "Um…..is that Jessiebelle as in…..well….that crazy bitch who kidnapped your boyfriend and forced him into an arranged marriage?" enquired Rocko. "Oh come on," spat Meowth sarcastically, "how many other Jessiebelles do you know that look just like Jessie?"

The next couple of weeks passed by in a blur, one mission blending into another in Jessie's mind, as all she could think of were the 2 bombshells which had been recently dropped on her. In a bid to take her mind off things, Rocko decided they would go to visit Cassidy in the hospital. Jessie agreed reluctantly, as although she hated her, she did feel bad for not visiting earlier, as he had suggested. On arriving at the hospital, they saw Butch leaning against the wall, right next to the 'No Smoking' sign, puffing away. "Morning Botch, how's it hangin'?" Rocko called out in a friendly voice, receiving a grumpy "_Butch!"_ and a 2 fingered salute from his colleague. Meowth had to stay in the car, as pokemon weren't allowed in the hospital. A kind, tired-looking nurse gave them brief directions to Cassidy's private room (paid for by Giovanni of course!) After getting lost and asking for directions again, they finally found her. She was sitting up in bed, bruised and battered, and a little high on morphine. She was also holding hands with a petite, short-haired brunette who was wearing a team Rocket uniform, although Jessie couldn't quite place her. On seeing Jessie, Cassidy frowned and folded her arms defensively across her chest. "What are _you_ doing here, Jessie? Come to gloat?" Jessie glowered at her, and was about to open her mouth when Rocko stepped forwards, cutting her off. "Hey Cassidy, remember me, Rocko? How're you doing? And who's this lovely lady?" he smiled at her 'friend', laying on all of his legendary charm. "I've been better," Cassidy sniffed, "but thanks for asking. This is Erpalina." "It's a Rubenian name. I was born in Ruberia," Erpalina explained, "but no-one ever pronounces it right, you can just call me Erp." Rocko winked at her "I understand-my real name's Hicock! But I always hated it, so everyone calls me Rocko now." Erp didn't seem to notice his obvious flirting. She smiled at the Rockets, and Cassidy glared at her. "Erp, this is Jessie-that loser I was telling you about earlier!" "The one with the great rack? I see what you mean!" Erp said, winking at Jessie. Cassidy blushed and glared at them both. "I did not say that-you're getting me mixed up with Betch!" "He's outside, honey," Erp reminded her, "he went for a smoke, remember? He can't hear you." "Oh" said Cassidy, sulkily, irked at having missed an opportunity to wind up her partner. She noticed the bag in Jessie's hand. "What've you brought me?" "Grapes. Enjoy!" She passed them over to her nemesis, trying to smile nicely as Rocko had told her to. Erp's cell went off from in her pocket, and she answered it, obviously not caring if it did affect the machines in the hospital. "Hello. What is it? I'm busy. Can I call you back? Ok, bye honey." She hung up. "That was my partner, Wayatt. What a nag!" she laughed. "Anyway I'd better get going. Why don't you guys sit down?"

"That was _the_ longest hour of my life." Jessie muttered, getting into the car. "Yeah…..but Erp seemed nice!" Rocko grinned. She stared at him. "Erm, you do know she's…well don't waste your time, that's all." "Haha of course, just winding you up, Jess! Shame though," he mumbled thoughtfully, starting the car. "Who's Erp?" asked Meowth as they drove off. "Cassidy's 'friend'. Wayatt's partner." Rocko answered. "Who's Wayatt? That purple-haired guy from the last Team Rocket training session at HQ?" the pokemon asked thoughtfully. Jessie shrugged. "Oh yeah, I remember him! Nerdy guy, glasses and a funny accent?" Rocko smirked. "That's him!" sniggered Meowth.

Jessie couldn't wait to see James. It had been a long day, and she was missing him more and more between visits these days. She opened his bedroom door quietly. He was asleep, as always, so she gently woke him up. "Jessie! I missed you! I have some news, I mean we need to talk…eeeeeeeee!" He squealed excitedly. "James slow down! What is it?" she asked, intrigued. "On your birthday…..Jessiebelle got a letter from her real mother! She showed it to me. She has a twin sister-and she thinks it's you!" He took her hands in his. "Oh Jessie, she's going to help me escape! Eeeeeee! Isn't it wonderful! She gave me all my pokemon back, even Growlie!" Jessie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Really? Are you sure it's not a trap? I don't know if we can trust her-even if she is my sister." She gazed off into space, thinking out loud. "I got that letter too. I believe it James. I think she probably is my sister. But she's crazy." She looked at him, fear in her eyes. "What if she's just playing some kind of game?" He took a deep breath and replied, deadly serious. "Jessie, she cried. I know this woman. I've known her for 15 years, and in all that time I never saw her cry-not even when her precious Chikorita died." Jessie ignored the pang of jealousy she felt at their shared history and decided to take a chance. "Okay. So we trust her, now what?" "Let me get dressed. Then we'll go and wake her up, and ask her to help us. We have to try. This could be my only chance to escape this awful place!"

Walking down the long corridor, Jessie held James's hand, thinking how nice it was to see him in his Team Rocket uniform again, though he could never go back of course. It looked old and battered now, and was torn in places from his kidnap. He was only wearing it as he had nothing else that his parents hadn't bought, but it brought back memories. She was surprised (and a little relieved) at just how far it was to Jessiebelle's room. Finally they reached a bright pink door 'God James's parents must really like her, letting her decorate' thought Jessie 'but then, they are all crazy, so no wonder they get on!' They slipped into the room, shutting the door behind them. Jessie could just make out her twin asleep in bed, and they crept over to her. "Jessibelle. Wake up, it's me, James" he hissed. Jessiebelle woke up with a start, eyes wide at first, until she realised what was going on. "Well, good evening," she began, well mannered as always, "James, Jessie….." She looked at Jessie, shame, sadness, and a million unasked questions in her eyes. "So, I guess you got a letter too, darlin'. From Mom….._our_ mom." Jessie shuffled awkwardly. "Yeah." Her mind went blank and she looked to James for help. "Did you mean what you promised? Will you help me to escape?" The southern belle sighed. "I will. But I must get dressed first, and a lady does not dress in front of a gentleman who's in love with her sister, even if he _is_ technically her husband." James left, and Jessie moved to follow him, but her twin gently reached for her hand. "Jessie…..I would like to talk to you alone…..please?" Jessie felt awkward and embarrassed. "What is it?" Jessiebelle spoke, tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh Jessie…..how you must hate me! I've been nothing but discourteous to you! I mocked you, I set my Vileplume on you, I….." "Kidnapped James?" Jessie interrupted, coldly. "Yes I'm so sorry, darlin'. I tried to steal the man you love-and tried to make him forget you and love me instead. But I just made him miserable, especially by taking him away from you. I see that now, and I'm so sorry, for everything. I know you can never forgive me…..but maybe…..if I help you…..maybe one day we could be friends? We're not so different, you and I. If only you knew how I'd longed for a sister-you're the only family I have left." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Don't push it!" Jessie snapped. "You've been nothing but a crazy bitch to James since the day I met you-and probably before that! Did you honestly think we'd cry, hug it out and make up after all that? You really must be nuts!" Jessiebelle began to sob loudly, and Jessie groaned, annoyed. "Oh for fuck's sake. Here." She passed her a tissue and sat down next to her. "Look, if you help us…..well who knows. Just help James escape like you promised, okay?" She patted her awkwardly on the shoulder and got up. "I'll be just outside the door. Hurry up and get dressed."

A few minutes later, Jessiebelle joined Jessie and James in the corridor. "Follow me" she instructed shining a torch ahead of her to light the way, and they followed her, apprehensive. She led them down endless corridors, down stairs and across hallways until Jessie felt quite dizzy. Eventually they reached the basement, and walked through the S&M dungeon. Jessiebelle's whip still hung on the wall, and James shuddered, remembering her dominatrix tendencies. Down another flight of stairs, they finally reached the safe. "Turn around and shut your eyes." Jessiebelle commanded. "What! No way!" Jessie snapped angrily, reaching for her pokeballs. "Lickitung…" Jessiebelle clamped her hand over her mouth, interrupting her. "No, no nothing like that, I just don't want you to see me type in the combination!" she explained. "Hmmm." Jessie was still suspicious and kept her pokeballs close to hand, but did as she was asked. They heard the quiet tapping of numbers being pressed, then a couple of electronic beeps as the safe was opened. "You can open your eyes now!" Jessiebelle trilled. She leaned into the safe and emerged with a tiny key. James took his boot off, and Jessie grimaced, green-eyed with jealousy as her twin slipped her hand around James's ankle and fitted the key into the electronic band. "Here you go darlin', just as I promised." The band began beeping and Jessiebelle bent down low and murmured something inaudible to it. The beeping stopped and the band clicked open. "Eeeeeeeheehee!" squealed James "I'm free!" "Quiet! And not yet you're not, we still have to get out of here!" Jessie hissed, shoving his boot at him and giving Jessibelle a warning look, still not happy at her rival's proximity to her man. Jessiebelle smirked, locked the key back in the safe, and led them back up the stairs. Finally they arrived at the front doors to the mansion, out of breath from climbing all those sets of stairs. "Well here we are" announced Jessiebelle sadly, the realisation that she was losing both James and her long lost sister at once hitting her like a train. She pressed a thick wad of notes into Jessie's hand, and passed the empty electronic band to James, who flinched as she dropped it into his open palm. "Take this and dump it somewhere. I can't have your parents realising I helped you. And hurry. Once they wake up it won't take them long to notice you're gone!" For the first time Jessie appreciated what a risk her former nemesis, now newly discovered sister, was taking to help them. "Thankyou…..Sis." she said, embracing her warmly. Tears of joy sprang to Jessiebelle's eyes, and she stood in the doorway for a while, watching them leave.

James was so excited at being free that he was practically bouncing down the street, much to Jessie's amusement. "Oooooooooh! A Ford Tauros!" he squeaked, on seeing the car for the first time. "Can I drive? Please Jessie?" She laughed. "Sure, why not?" she grinned, pushing thoughts of what Rocko might think to the back of her mind. Jessie's mind was racing as James drove them far away from his prison of the past 2 years. They couldn't go back to living in their old cabin, James's parents would be looking for them in a matter of hours, possibly enlisting Giovanni's help. So their Team Rocket careers were both over! She was surprised just how relieved she felt at this. 'Maybe I could try competing in contests at last' she thought, imagining living her long-forgotten dream of being a coordinator. They would have to stop off and get a few things of course-and say goodbye to Rocko, which she didn't want to think about, a lump rising in her throat. Meowth would probably come with them. Arriving home for the last time ever, she took the car keys from James, and opened the door. They crept in silently, but Rocko woke up almost instantly when James stood on his hand by accident. "Aaargh what the fuck!" "Sorry Rocko!" James apologised, looking embarrassed. "James? What are you doing here? How did you escape? Congratulations man!" Rocko shook his hand and James beamed. "Well….." Jessie shut him up with a look. "We don't have time for this. Rocko…we came by to pick up a few things….and well….to say goodbye." His mouth dropped open, but he nodded, slowly realising they had no chance but to leave. They woke up Meowth, grabbed a few essentials, and left. Rocko offered to drive them to the train station, as they planned to change into disguises in the train toilets, to save time, hoping to even dye their hair if it was a long journey. They accepted his generous offer gratefully, as it would have taken much longer on foot, and the Meowth balloon was too easily recognisable.

Jessie and James explained everything in the car on the way. Rocko stopped off at the 24hour garage to get enough gas for the journey, and some candy for Meowth, who had gone very quiet. James had even thought he was asleep, until he looked down at the pokemon in his arms, and saw his eyes were open, and had a faraway look in them, as though he was thinking deeply about something. Jessie and James decided to go for a quick walk to stretch their legs, as cramp was already becoming an issue. Meowth followed them, seemingly snapping out of his trance. He began chattering away. "So Jimmy, you excited about having a little Jim on the way? Thought about names yet? Only I was thinking, if he's a boy, you could call him Meowth…" "Meowth, shut up!" cried Jessie, horrified.

"What?" said James, so shocked that he dropped the rose he'd been carrying. "Did he just say…. Are you….. I mean we…..having my….I mean…..a baby? Jessie?" He grabbed her hands and gazed into her eyes, both of them completely unaware that the twerps were themselves on the way to the garage, and had now stopped, eavesdropping on the former Rockets and staring, enthralled in the drama unfolding before their eyes. Jessie felt sick with nerves, but had no choice but to confess now. "Yes James, I'm having your baby." She stared at the R on his chest, terrified of losing him and unable to meet his gaze. "Eeeeeeee! I'm going to be a daddy! Oh Jessie, you don't know what this means to me!" he cried, ecstatic. She looked up at his happy face and saw the pride in his eyes. "Really? You're happy about this? Guess I'll have to get used to it then" she said, smiling. "I couldn't be happier!" he beamed. "Well….except maybe for one thing….." he dropped to one knee and took her hand. Jessie, I've been in love with you forever. Would you make me the happiest man alive and consent to be my wife?" She stared at him in shock. "What?" "Marry me Jessie!" he implored her. She paused. "James are you crazy? …..You haven't given me a ring…..we're far too young…..people will say it's a shotgun wedding…..you'd have to get divorced first…..neither of us will have our families there…..or friends, with being on the run…sure! I mean, yes! Yes, James Morgan, love of my life. I will marry you!" She blushed, girlishly, and tears of joy threatened to spill down her face. 'Don't cry Jessie! You'll ruin your make-up!' she thought, desperate not to let her girly emotions take over. James saved her then with a kiss….the kind of kiss you see in movies…..the kiss at the end of a storybook…..the kiss poets write about…..the kiss ballads are sung about…..the kiss lovers are supposed to have at the edge of a cliff, in the rain…

"Ohhhhhh…..how romantic!" Misty almost sobbed, starry-eyed. "It's so beautiful!" "Yuck! Who needs that mushy crap!" Ash declared. She glared at him. Brock was lost in his own pervy little world, as usual. "So they must have been screwing…..all that time…..no wonder they always jumped out on us from the bushes, leaves in their hair, grass stains on their uniforms….she has a great figure actually….Hey, anyone ever noticed? Jessie's hot!" An exasperated Misty grabbed his ear, and dragged him away, towards the garage. Ash followed, still pulling childish 'bleugh' faces, Pikachu sitting on his shoulder as always.

Arriving back at the car, Jessie, James and an embarrassed Meowth found Rocko, leaning back in the driver's seat, chatting up a curvy Rocket agent with long curly black hair, standing next to the car, whom they both recognised from various Team Rocket events. "Shit! It's Wild Bill!" Jessie whispered. James just stared at her in horror. They tried to get into the back seat without being spotted, but to no avail. "Jessie! James!" she cried, "Long time no see!" "Ahem, Wilhelmina! Lovely to see you, but we're kind of busy. Hope you find a new partner soon! Byeee!" twittered James nervously. "Rocko, _drive, now!"_ Jessie hissed, poking him in the ribs. "Ow! Ok, ok. So you have my number, right? Call me sometime babe!" he called, waving to the bemused beauty as he drove away. "Guys…_come on_….what was that all about? You pair of cockblockers!" he teased, only half joking. "Rocko!" the trio cried in unison "Don't tell us you never heard of Wild Bill!" "Wild Bill?" "Wilhelmina, but everyone calls her Wild Bill," Meowth explained, "on account of her being…..well, wild, outta control, crazy, nuts….whatever you wanna call it!" James nodded, crossing his arms. "She's a handful, alright." Jessie chimed in, concerned at her friend's taste in women. "She's bossy, controlling, bitchy, mean, she has a dreadful temper, she's a complete diva, she's greedy, money mad, she's tougher than most guys I've met….need I go on?" Rocko turned around for a second, sharing a look and a wink with James and Meowth. "You know what, Jess? I reckon I could handle it." "Yeah, actually I think he could." Meowth sniggered. "Er, maybe he's worked…I mean, had experience with that kind of woman before-or something" contributed James, trying to avoid Jessie's eye. She looked suspicious for a moment, then shook her head. "Whatever, it's your funeral. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Meowth gave the electronic bracelet to Rocko's Scizor, with instructions to fly as far as it could in the next 2 days, drop it somewhere, and fly back by a different route. Throughout the journey to the station, Rocko kept cracking jokes to try and disguise the growing atmosphere of sadness, which they all felt, especially as they pulled into the carpark. "So guys…here we are!" he announced breezily, turning off the engine and forcing a smile. Jessie, James and Meowth grabbed their bags and got out of their friend's car for the last time. Rocko followed, wanting to wish them well. "Rocko…Goodbye…and thankyou so much for everything! You're a true friend, I'll miss you." Jessie said truthfully, hugging him, tears in her eyes, missing him already. He squeezed her tight, tearing up himself. "Miss my car you mean!" he joked, "Bye Jess…..don't give James as much shit as you gave me, okay? Gonna miss you, bossyboots!" "Oy!" she merely scolded at his cheekiness, wiping away tears instead of giving him a slap. James shook his hand warmly. "Rocko, thanks for all your help! I think maybe if we knew each other better…we'd have been great friends! You're awesome!" Rocko laughed. "Come on man, you're gonna make me cry in a minute! Give us a hug you big Emo!" James frowned, confused. The men hugged awkwardly, then Rocko stepped back. "Go on, get lost already! Don't want you blaming me if you miss your train, you haven't even bought tickets yet!" "Ok. Come on you two!" Jessie said bossily, setting off. "Jess, Jimmy….wait." Meowth cried, sounding torn. "I ain't coming with ya," he blurted, "so ain't you gonna say bye to Meowth?" he grinned, sweatdropping like crazy. "WHAT!" Jessie and James yelled in unison, falling over in shock. "What do you mean, you're not coming? Hurry up and get your bag, we're going to miss the train in a minute, there's no time for messing around!" Jessie snapped. Meowth crossed his arms. "I mean it. I'm not coming." He looked serious. "I've been thinking…I love you two guys….and we've been through so much together…but…Da Boss-Giovanni-he's my master. I can't give up on him now. I'm gonna take that smug Persian's place by his side, if it's the last thing I ever do…and with Rocko here, no offence, someone who's actually _good _at this job, well…I might actually have a shot!" James was clearly devastated. "Meowth…are you serious? I'm going to miss you so much!" The pokemon merely nodded, his mind made up. James swept him up in his arms and hugged him hard, before passing him over to Jessie, who did the same. "Bye….I guess you know what you're doing…you crazy street cat!" she laughed sadly. She set him down gently and he hopped onto Rocko's shoulder, waving at his 2 old teammates as they ran to catch their train.

"You ok, buddy?" Rocko asked kindly as they set off on the drive home, noticing Meowth's downcast expression. "Sure, why wouldn't I be? Da biggest pair of losers in Team Rocket history! I ain't gonna miss them! No way!" the cat pokemon lied, avoiding Rocko's eye. "Now put your foot down, we've got a Pikachu to catch!" "And a new teammate to find" mused Rocko, smiling….

Ta-da! My first ever fanfic! Hope you like it! Bye for now


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